1. Field of the Invention
The present inVention relates to utility racks, and more particularly pertains to a vehicle mounted utility rack designed to provide needed additional storage and transportation space on modern down-sized vehicles. The need for increasingly fuel efficient vehicles has resulted in increasingly smaller recreational and four wheel drive vehicles. As individuals purchasing these vehicles frequently participate in hunting, camping and other outdoor activities, there is a need to provide convenient storage for equipment utilized in these activities. In order to overcome this problem, the present invention provides a quickly removable utility rack adapted for connection with a class II trailer hitch on a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of vehicle attached devices are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,388, which issued to L. Barksdale on Mar. 4, 1980. This patent discloses a step for attachment to a tail gate of a truck to facilitate entry into the truck bed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,754, which issued to R. Hightower on Mar. 25, 1980, discloses an auxiliary foldable step for pick up trucks which can be secured to the bumper of the truck with the weight of the step supported thereby and folded up when closed against the tail gate of the truck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,611, which issued to M. Makela on May 20, 1980, discloses a running board attachment for light trucks which is formed from extruded aluminum and attached to transverse frame arms secured to the frame of the truck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,648, which issued to R. Robins on June 23, 1981, discloses a vehicle bumper step formed by an upwardly open frame having clamp members secured to its upper surface for mounting the frame on a vehicle bumper by gripping a bumper flange. U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,141, which issued to L. Jurek on Sep. 20, 1983, discloses a pair of separate stackable steps for attachment to a vehicle bumper for use by an individual while servicing the vehicle.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose a utility rack adapted for attachment to a class II type trailer hitch of a vehicle. Additionally, none of the aforesaid devices disclose the use of a mounting bar having straight and inclined portions in conjunction with a V-shaped transverse support strut and a vertical support column for supporting a rectangular steel mesh platform substantially above the elevation of the vehicle trailer hitch. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of utility racks, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such utility racks, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.